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🗞️ Deadly Voltage: Florida Lineman Killed, Two Burned in Preventable Power Line Accident

A Duke Energy subcontractor fatally electrocuted a lineman and hospitalized two others in Seminole, FL after a utility pole struck a live transmission line. OSHA cited the employer for three serious safety violations.

onthelaborfront

13 Mar 2026 — 2 min read

On August 12, 2025, a three-man crew from Primoris T&D Services LLC — a subsidiary of Primoris Services Corp. subcontracted by Duke Energy — was replacing a utility pole along Park Boulevard in Seminole, Florida. As a four-man crew worked to position the pole, the boom operator's claw struck the pole, causing it to contact an energized overhead transmission line, triggering an explosion that ignited nearby grass. Justin St. Clair Bryan, 30, who was on the ground assisting with the pole placement, was fatally electrocuted at the scene. Co-workers Jefferey Busch, 27, and Matthew Waldrop, 31, were transported to a hospital with severe burns.

Following an investigation, OSHA cited Primoris T&D Services with three serious violations: failing to maintain required minimum approach distances from energized transmission lines (or ensure the line was de-energized prior to work), failing to assign a designated observer to monitor those distances and issue warnings, and failing to ensure the pre-job safety briefing addressed the specific hazards of working beneath energized transmission lines. OSHA proposed $49,650 in penalties. The employer has contested the citations before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission; penalties and citation status remain subject to change.

The incident is not isolated within the company's history. According to OSHA records, three other Primoris workers died in the five years prior to the August 2025 incident, two of them also from electrocutions while working on power lines.

Key Points

Victim: Justin St. Clair Bryan, 30, a lineman employed by Primoris T&D Services LLC, was on the ground assisting with pole placement when he was fatally electrocuted on August 12, 2025, in Seminole, Florida.
Injured workers: Jefferey Busch, 27, and Matthew Waldrop, 31, were hospitalized with severe burns; both face a prolonged recovery.
Cause: The boom operator's claw struck the utility pole being installed, causing it to contact a live overhead transmission line and triggering an explosion.
OSHA violations (3 serious): Inadequate approach distances from energized parts; no designated safety observer; incomplete pre-job hazard briefing.
Proposed penalty: $49,650 — currently contested by the employer before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Pattern of concern: OSHA records indicate at least two prior electrocution fatalities involving Primoris workers on power lines within the preceding five years.
Resources: OSHA provides guidance on working near overhead power lines and free compliance assistance for employers.